Thought for Today
Genesis 2:7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.
Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Our human bodies are amazing constructions. Our bodies generally have 206 bones. 600 to 650 muscles and approximately 7 trillion nerves (Copilot Search). Human bodies come in an almost infinite number of variations. Some folks are tall; some folks are short. Some folks are thin and frail; some folks are stocky and thickly built. Although humans can be divided into ethnicities loosely based on skin tone, eye shape, etc., even within those ethnicities, no two humans are exactly alike. Even ‘identical’ twins are never truly identical.
If, after several days of my pondering on our latest war, you are wondering why my thoughts this morning turn to our bodies, Greta and I try to be diligent on keeping up with the vaccinations recommended by our healthcare provider. Yesterday, we received our final booster on one of those recommended vaccines. In an obvious, grossly unfair turn of events, I have had a reaction to both of the shots for this particular vaccine.
I do not recall ever having a reaction to any other vaccine. I very rarely have reactions to medications other than the anticipated curative reaction. With both of these shots, however, I have had a reaction. In both cases, the reaction occurred almost exactly 12 hours after I received the injection. The first time, I had severe chills. My teeth chattered so violently, I could not talk (NO! That’s not a good thing.) The chills dissipated within 30 minutes. This time, in addition to milder chills, every one of those 206 bones hurts. Copilot also tells me that a human body has 250-350 joints. All of mine hurt. No, that is not hyperbole . . . okay, maybe a little bit.
Many of us take our bodies for granted when we are young. We may exercise. We may watch our diets; but, we take our bodies and our health for granted. If we are fortunate, when we are young, we have our mothers to tend to us, to make our favorite comfort food, to tuck us in, to soothe our fevered brows.
Eventually, for us all, the bruises, strains, tears, and broken bones begin to accumulate and take their toll. Gravity also wears on our bodies. My own “temple of the Holy Spirit” is starting to look a bit worn and weathered.
Modern medicine has made incredible advances in my lifetime. We have surgical procedures not available to our parents, much less our grandparents. We have miracle drugs that conquer what once were lethal diseases. The Great Pandemic of the 20s made us all aware of the amazing advances in vaccines. Multiple, highly effective vaccines to treat COVID were developed in incredibly short times.
For some of us, that pandemic increased our awareness of other vaccines that are available. Sadly, for others, the experience of that pandemic has created a sense of opposition to all vaccines. Measles was once a very deadly disease. Almost everyone I knew as a child had Rubella. Now, we have one of the most effective of all vaccines available to help us eliminate Rubella. Yet, this whole anti-vax attitude has led many to shun the vaccine and the U.S.A. is seeing almost pandemic levels of cases once again.
I am a bit uncomfortable right this minute. I know my discomfort will soon pass. I also know that my risk for Shingles will be greatly diminished, even though I have the virus in my system.
I believe that life itself is a gift from God. I believe my body, your body, the bodies of all humans contain that “breath of life” from God which makes each of us a “a living being.” And, I believe each of us has the responsibility to take advantage of all of the vaccines, medications and surgical procedures available to protect and maintain the gift God has given us.
Stay safe, stay healthy, trust God,
Pastor Ray